I am much more optimistic - figure we will at least get control of the House and praying we get control of the Senate in 2018 too.

There is a tremendous amount of enthusiasm for progressive democrats. Hoping Beto O'Rourke wins in Texas. He would be a darn sight better than Cruz! And note the huge primary upset of a top Democratic dem (election of young Ocasio-Cortez in NY)!

I don't know Bookfan, Mueller made a deal with a guy who admittedly murdered 20 people and was a free man after serving only 5 years. All Mueller really did was allow tapes to be played to Sammy of John bad mouthing him over and over. Not sure I call that an ingenious plan. Yes, they got Gotti but that's a heck of a cost, the guy who made the deal was every bit as bad as Gotti, if not worse. Sort of a Hitler - Himmler example of hierarchy to me. I'm not comparing what they did but the second in command in both situations was actually the guy doing the dirty work and at least as horrible as the head guy.

I'm not on anyone's side here, but nothing is going to come from the Russia probe that will hurt Trump - and that's not me rooting for Trump. I could care less if he were impeached tomorrow. In fact, I'd like that to happen. My hope was the American people would see the folly of our present 2 part system which is destroying our country in my opinion. Unfortunately I don't see that happening as much as I had hoped. There is some movement but not nearly enough. However, I do agree Mueller needs to see his investigation through, rule of law and all that.

Who wold be my guy who could get our country back on track? Mike Bloomberg. Unfortunately he is too old now. I am not age prejudiced, the job takes too much out of people, it is physically obvious in before and after photos. Look at Obama, he aged about 20 years in 8. Bloomberg would have been a wonderful president I think, doing it for the right reason and one of only a few people qualified and capable of taking on the herculean administrative overhaul this country needs

I hear you about Sammy the Bull. He did terrible stuff that should keep him in jail for life & Mueller made a huge compromise to get Gotti. But in this case, I'd almost be willing to make a pact with the devil if it would save the Republic. Once lost, I don't know if we'd ever get it back. We're losing our freedom; the great experiment is failing. Trump is consolidating power as we speak.

Also, I don't put Cohen in the same category as Sammy. I don't know what all he did and he did plenty, but I don't think he actually killed people himself. Manafort did plenty of bad stuff too, in cahoots with the Russians - Ukraine comes to mind - but I don't know if he did anything as vile as Sammy. It doesn't look like Manafort will flip anyway.

"but nothing is going to come from the Russia probe that will hurt Trump"
I think Mueller has plenty, PLENTY on Trump, enough for bunches of indictments if the president is indictable. But it won't push Trump out of office, nor will it sway his base. So yeah, maybe nothing useful will come of the probe.

From NBC
WASHINGTON — Trump administration officials weighed speeding up the deportation of migrant children by denying them their legal right to asylum hearings after separating them from their parents, according to comments on a late 2017 draft of what became the administration's family separation policy obtained by NBC News.
Merkley Reveals Secret Trump Administration Plan to Create Border Crisis
Leaked memo shows deliberate plans to create a border crisis

The draft also shows officials wanted to specifically target parents in migrant families for increased prosecutions, contradicting the administration's previous statements. In June, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said the administration did "not have a policy of separating families at the border" but was simply enforcing existing law.

The authors noted that the "increase in prosecutions would be reported by the media and it would have a substantial deterrent effect."

I know. The outrage has slipped because there is so much outrage to be felt over so many egregious acts. But there are still children not reunited with their parents. And children still being separated from their families. This is cruelty of the highest order.